Vibration dampers in which a support ring is arranged at the piston rod and serves as a contact surface for a flexible stop ring are already known (DE-GM 85 20 989). This stop ring contacts an inner end face of the piston rod guide after a determined travel distance of the piston rod at the cylinder so that a tension stop is formed. It is disadvantageous that the flexible stop ring is deformed not only in axial direction but also in radial direction when acted upon axially by pressure. Accordingly, the flexible stop ring may be deformed beyond permissible shearing strains and be destroyed.
Further, other tension stop devices are known (EP 119 197 B1, EP 120.005 B1)in which a flexible ring is likewise used as a tension stop and is arranged at the piston rod by means of angled holders in such a way that axial deformation as well as radial deformation of the flexible ring takes place when acted upon axially by pressure.